Insulated coupling.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. s.. N. SHIELDS.

INSULATED COUPLING. APPLIQATION FILED JULY30,1906.

7 diMi Wez 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT orsion.

INSULATED COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Aunlieation filed July 30,1906. Serial N01 328,385.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N SHIELDS, a citizen of the United States .of America, residing at Greensburg, in the countyof Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Insulated Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in insulators, and the invention relates more particularly to an iii-- sulator adapted to be used in connection with electrical conduit supports or guy wires.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a simple and inexpensive insulator to which two separate and independent wires or supports may be connected without contacting with one another or passing in close proximity to one another. To this end, I have devised an insulator particularly adapted for the supporting wires of trolleyhangers, the insulator being employed to insulate the supporting wires from the poles or standards which support said wires. In this connection, I have devised a block which is pref erably made of porcelain or a similar noncondnctive material, which is provided with grooves and openings through which open links are adapted to pass, said links being attached to the pole wire or clamped to the trolley supporting wire.

The detail construction entering into my invention will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and referring to the drawing accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a plan of my improved insulator, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 00-92 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan of the body portion of my improved insulator, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an insulator, illustrating a slightly modified form of construction, Fig. 5 trating my improved insulator in connection with a trolley pole or standard, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insulator illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

To put my invention into practice, 1 construct my improved insulator of a rectangular body portion or block made of porcelain or a similar non-conductive material. The block has its sides provided with longitudinally disposed grooves 2, 2 and 3, 3, the grooves 2, 2 at one end of the block being connected by a transverse groove, 4, while the grooves. 3,3 at the opposite end of the block are connected together by a vertically disposed groove 5. In connection with the insulation block just described, I use two open links 6 and 7, each link consisting of a contracted-portion S a flared portion 9 and parallel eyelets 10. The links are placed in engagei'nent with one an other by spreading the eyelets, and then the block l-is inserted in the flared portion of said links. The links are then drawn outwardly nntil the contracted portion 8 of the link 6 engages in the grooves 2, 2 of the block 1, while the contracted portion of the link 7 engages in the grooves 3, 3 of said block, the block separating said links, at the same time connecting them one to the other. 'l'he links 6 and 7 are preferably made of strong and resilient wire, whereby the links will be slightly sprung when the block is mounted between the contracted portions of said links, thereby preventing the block from becoming disengaged from the links, when not supporting a wire.

' In Fig. 5 of the drawing,- the application of my improved insulator is illustrated in conis a diagrammatical view illus-- 1 said block being nection with a trolley pole or standard 11, said pole being provided with a clamping band or strap 12 which engages the eyelets 1(2- of the link 6, while the eyelets 10 of the link 7 support the end. of a wire 14, which is connected to a trolley wire hanger or mushroom.

I In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, 1 have illustrated a slight modification wherein the grooves at and 5 of the block are dispensed with, said block near its one end being provided with a vertically disposed opening 15, while atil's opposite end is provided with a transverse opening 16. The sid'es of the block are provided with grooves 17, 17 which terminate at the ends of the opening 15, while the opposite sides of the block are provided. with grooves 18, 18 which terminate at the ends of the opening 16. The wires to be connected to the block pa s through the openings 15 and 16, are bent to lie in the grooves 17, 17 and 18, 18, whereby the block will form an insulated connecting link between the wires.

lVhile I have herein described the block as being particularly adapted for use in connection with trolley poles and trolley supporting wires, it will be observed that my improved block, either in the form illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, or in Fig. 4, may be used for connecting wires, especially the Wires of a cross over or long CUIYQS of a trolleyline or electrical conduit.

do not care to confine myself to the s pe cific shape, size, or details of construction entering into my improved block, as such changes as are permissil'ale by the appended claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the lIIVGl'lLlOIl.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the insulating body substantialh; as described, of a pair of coupling links receiving said block, andfeach embodying parallel arms connected. together at one encv and havingeyes at their other ends, the said arms being oil-set intermediate their ends for a distance substantially equal to the length of the block, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I 'allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

SAMUEL N. SHIELDS. itnesses IRA C. SNYDER. F. D. HERBERT 

